Newborn Must-Haves For My Second Baby

As my baby girl comes up on turning 3 months later this week, I feel like it’s time to share all of my newborn must-haves for my second baby.

With this being my second child, I have definitely learned a lot from my first about what I actually need and found useful during the newborn phase

Like many moms, when I became a mom for the first time, I might have gone a little overboard and got any and everything baby-related.

And because of that, I ended up with quite a few baby things that I found useful and continued to use with the new baby.

But there were also some things that were not so useful so I didn’t even bother getting them this time around.

For small babies under the age of 3 months, they really don’t need or require that many items.

And that is what you will notice with this list.

If you all have been keeping up with the blog, then you know what I put on my baby registry as a second-time mom.

A lot of those items that I put on there have already proven to be very useful and I will be mentioning some of those items here as well.

If you are interested in what I use for my 2-month-old newborn, then here are all my newborn must-haves for my second baby.

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What I Don’t Use For My Second Baby

Before I get into my newborn essentials for my second child, let’s talk about what I don’t use.

I am aware that some of the items that I’m going to mention are items that many moms may still use with their babies and that is ok.

But I still wanted to share in case other moms are interested in what I didn’t find to be as helpful with my first child.

As I was saying above, since I am a second-time mom who has tried her fair share of baby gear and products, I knew what I was not going to use with this baby.

Mittens

The first item that many people are surprised to find that I don’t use is mittens.

And it’s not because I don’t want my baby scratching her face or pulling her hair.

It’s mostly because a lot of the pajamas that are made now have built-in mittens so there isn’t really a need to buy them when their clothes have it already built-in.

Swaddles

If you saw what I had put on my baby registry, then you will see that I registered for these Velcro Swaddles from SwaddleMe.

I personally love these swaddles and did use them with my first so I recommend these, but I don’t really reach for them with my second child.

I used them a few times when she first got here, but she kept trying to break out of the swaddle so I stopped.

And another reason I don’t really use them is that I cosleep with her.

When she is in the bed with me, I don’t swaddle her so that she is free to move.

Button Pajamas

While we are on the subject of pajamas, I also do not buy button pajamas.

I learned this lesson very quickly with my first child when I found myself fumbling with her diaper changes at night just trying to unbutton and button back her pajamas.

When it comes to a crying, screaming baby, you need things to be quick and efficient and those button pajamas just were not it for me.

Baby Shoes

I know baby shoes are absolutely adorable and I bought some for my first daughter, but baby shoes really aren’t worth it for little babies.

Stick with some cute baby socks and save the shoes for when they start pulling up and walking around.

Bottle Warmer

So this is another common item that many moms use and an item that I had gotten with my first child.

But for a breastfeeding mom who mostly breastfeeds and doesn’t really have to use bottles that often, a bottle warmer is not necessary.

For the few times, I do have to give a bottle, I always just heat up a pot of water and put the bottle in there.

Wipe Warmer

I love the idea of a wipe warmer and used it with my first child, but I will not use it with this baby.

Like with other items, I know of other moms who rave about and love their wipe warmer, but to me, they just dry the wipes out.

Newborn Must-Haves For My Second Baby

Now that I have discussed the things I don’t use for my baby, let’s get into those newborn must-haves that I do use with my second baby.

Feeding/Sleep Tracking Log

So the very first of the newborn must-haves I want to mention here is this tracking log that I also mentioned in my breastfeeding must-haves.

When I became a mom for the first time, I definitely suffered from “mom brain” and would often forget which side I nursed on or when I put my daughter down to sleep.

Well, this Baby Whiteboard by Mewl is perfect for me to use when I’m needing to keep track of which side I’m using, how long she is nursing, and when she goes down for her naps

So when I take her to those early doctor appointments, I’m able to tell the pediatrician how often and how long she is nursing as well as how she is sleeping.

This whiteboard also works well to create a schedule as your baby gets older because you will notice that your baby is eating and nursing around those same times every day.

This whiteboard is a must-have and I will continue to use it even as my baby girl gets older.

If you are interested in this tracking log, I actually have a coupon code that you can use to save you some money.

If you use the code JUSTMOM10 through the link here, you can save 10% off your purchase.

Diapers and Wipes

The next must-have that I use for my second baby is an obvious one and that is diapers and wipes.

All babies need diapers and wipes so I wanted to mention the ones that I like using here.

I like to use the Pampers Pure Diapers and Pampers Pure Wipes because they are both hypoallergenic and unscented which are great for babies sensitive skin.

The wipes are also made mostly of water and very moist so they won’t irritate the baby when wiping during changes.

Diaper Pail

Along with diapers and wipes, I also use a diaper pail to store them in.

I know some parents who can do without a diaper pail, but it really does mask the smell of the dirty diapers and keeps the rest of the room smelling fresh.

Our baby girl’s nursery is currently in our bedroom, so the diaper pail has definitely come in handy.

I have this Munchkin Diaper Pail.

Pacifiers

Our baby is not too big on pacifiers but she does like it when goes to sleep.

The pacifiers that she likes are the Soother Pacifiers from Itsy Ritzy.

Bottles

I mostly breastfeed so my baby has only taken a bottle a few times.

But like many breastfed babies, she will only drink from the ones that mimic a breast.

If you are a breastfeeding mama struggling with getting your baby to take from a bottle, try these bottles from Tommee Tippee.

They were the only bottles my oldest daughter would take when she was a baby and this baby seems to be the same way.

Vitamin D Drops

While we are on the subject of breastfed babies, another item that you will need is Vitamin D drops.

Breastmilk has so many benefits for our babies, but it is lacking in the Vitamin D department.

I use these Vitamin D Drops from Zarbee’s Naturals daily with my baby by placing a drop on my breast before her evening bedtime feed.

2-Way Zipper Pajmas

The next essential is zipper pajamas

I don’t like the button-down pajamas, but I absolutely love the zipper ones.

Especially the ones that zip up from the bottom so you don’t have to practically undress your baby during diaper changes.

I figured this out after having my first child and realized that these pajamas just make more sense.

Most of the zipper pajamas that I get are these Sleep and Play Footed Pajamas from Carters.

Burp Cloths

I didn’t have to use these as much with my first daughter, but my second daughter spits up way more than she did so these are coming in handy a lot more this second time around.

The burp cloths that I like to use are the ones from the Cloud Island Brand at Target.

Nursing Pillow

If you read about my breastfeeding must-haves, then you saw that I put this pillow there as well.

Because not only is it great for nursing a small baby but it can also be used to prop your baby up and a tummy time pillow.

I used it as a breastfeeding pillow for the first month with my baby and now I use it as a prop and tummy time pillow.

I have the famous Boppy Nursing Pillow.

Baby Bath Tub

The next few newborn must-haves that I use for my second baby will be baby gear and I wanted to start with the bathtub that we use for our baby.

We have recently started giving our baby a bath every day because we are trying to establish a bedtime routine, so we pull out her bathtub every day.

And I absolutely love her bathtub.

It is the Skip Hop Moby Recline & Rinse Baby Bath Tub and it was one of the new items that I registered for and really like.

I love that it has a way for it to drain and a hook that you can use to hang it up on the wall whenever you are done using it.

Baby Wrap

So the next baby essential I have and highly recommend getting, especially for moms with a baby and a toddler, is a baby carrier or a baby wrap.

As I’m typing this, I have a 2-month-old and a 2-year-old.

My toddler is very independent and can do a lot of things on her own, but she is not fully independent and still relies on me to do things for her.

So when both of my kids are awake and both need my attention, I wrap up my baby so my hands are free to attend to my toddler.

My baby also loves to nap in my baby wrap as well so if she will not nap in the pack-n-play, then I can also get her to nap while still having my hands free.

The baby wrap that I currently use and love is the Boba Wrap Baby Carrier.

Baby Swing

A new item that I didn’t use with my first child was a baby swing and I clearly missed out.

Our swing has been a complete game-changer for our family

When I’m not wearing my baby and still need to do things, I’m able to put her in her baby swing and that will keep her occupied and satisfied while I move around the house.

And her older sister also loves to entertain her while she is in there as well.

The swing that I have is this Ingenuity DreamComfort InLighten Cradling Swing and I highly recommend it.

It has 6 different swing settings, a light-up mobile, plays music, a vibrating feature, and the seat can be reclined and moved around.

Pack-N-Play

The next big baby item that has been extremely useful is our pack n play.

We currently have this item in our bedroom and this is where our baby girl sleeps unless she is in the bed with us.

We have a Graco Pack N Play and it has a bassinet part that our baby is currently sleeping in.

Once she outgrows the bassinet, we will move her into the playpen on the first level.

Carseat/Stroller Combo

And the last newborn essential that is another obvious one is the car seat and stroller.

You can buy just the car seat, but I always tell people that you are better off getting a travel system that works with the car seat and can be transitioned into a regular stroller as well.

As a momma of 2, we do have a double stroller and I recommend getting a double stroller, but we have not had a chance to use ours yet, so I will save that review for another post.

But we do have the Evenflo Pivot Modular Travel System With SafeMax Car Seat that works great with our baby.

Your Turn

Well, those are all of my newborn must-haves that I have been using for my second baby. As you can see, newborns don’t require much and my list is very minimal. If you are interested in the Mewl Baby Whiteboard, don’t forget to use JUSTMOM10 to save 10% off your purchase through the link here. But I want to hear from you all now. What are your newborn essentials and what would you add to this list? Let me know in the comments and while you are still here, check out my previous post below. Until next time!

• Read More: Weaning My Toddler Off Of The Pacifier

Love,

Just Jass